This invention relates generally to the field of dental floss holders, and more particularly to improved form thereof of expendable type adapted to be positioned on the free end of a toothbrush handle to provide means for projecting the same into the mouth of a user.
The most common type of dental floss holder includes a bowed support, the free ends of which engage the ends of a short length of dental floss or tape which is retained at a tension sufficient to permit flossing the same between the teeth prior to longitudinal movement to effect the cleaning action. Such devices normally require a handle to provide sufficient length to enable reaching the rearwardly disposed molars.
Early types of flosses were developed during the 1920's and were equipped to carry a spool of dental floss which could be advanced to operative positions as previously used segments became worn or broken. Most early devices were made of metal, and in addition to being expensive, were relatively complicated to manufacture and clumsy in use.
With the later advent of synthetic resinous materials and molding techniques to employ them, some later devices were made of these materials. However, the devices remained relatively large in size, complicated to use, and expensive to produce.